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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The pox

40 replies

aaaaargghhhhelpme · 13/05/2017 08:48

Just wondering what the etiquette on chicken pox is...

Dd is in reception. the little brother of someone in her class has chicken pox.

The mother has been talking to other mums about it. About how poor little kid is grumpy etc. But brings him in for pick ups and drop offs! Also at our reception it's encouraged we get in early and spend a bit of time in the classroom - learning what they're up to. So from 8.45-8.57 there are 30 parents, 30 kids and about 25 little siblings in the classroom.

I was just talking to DH about this - as I really don't want ds to catch it yet (he's too little!!) is it normal to just barrel on with the poxy kid like this?! When DD had it I barricaded myself in the house and was really paranoid about passing it on!

(As a sad side note, two of DDs classmates have now got it - including one whose birthday party's tomorrow - so now he'll miss his own birthday Sad)

OP posts:
Enidblyton1 · 13/05/2017 08:57

30 adults and 55 children in a room together for 15 mins! Sounds like absolutely chaos. A great way for germs to spread too!
The etiquette is obviously to keep your child at home (or at least away from others) for the 5 days or so that they have spots.
However, as you are very infectious for a couple of days before spots appear, I'm afraid this little boy may have passed chicken pox on to children in his siblings class before anyone knew that he had it.
The nice thing to do would have been for another parent to volunteer to take the sibling to school for a few days while the little brother had spots.

TwatteryFlowers · 13/05/2017 08:58

I wouldn't take the child into school, even if only for ten mins, but I would do drop-offs and pick-ups if there was noone else available to do it (I think I'd leave it to the last possible minute and drop & run - kind of like I do anyway).

Dd has chicken pox at the moment and, although we've taken it in turns to stay home, ds has still been going to the childminder so she could do the school run and we could stay home and look after dd.

pinkandstripey · 13/05/2017 09:01

YABU. The contagious period is before the spots come out. The risk of a spotty child is to themselves and getting the spots infected - hence they can't go to nursery until spots have scabbed over.

If you are that concerned, pay for the vaccination.

NotAnotherUserName5 · 13/05/2017 09:04

I have been in the same situation all week. No childcare and a toddler with chicken pox.

I've had to get DH to do the mornings and after school we have gone last minute/5 mind late.
I've left my poxy dc in his pushchair with the hood over and raincover on and dashed in for my other DC.

It's a difficult situation but I've minimised risks as best I can. I'd never take one into the building with chicken pox.

Original poster
aaaaargghhhhelpme · 13/05/2017 09:04

Ah hope your dd feels better soon.

Yes would offer to help but we are the opposite end of town (pretty wide catchment) and as we walk we couldn't make it up their hill and back again. There are some people who live that way though. We're the only ones living in an odd place

Thanks anyway. I guess I'm just freakibg about ds catching it now...

OP posts:
Fruitcorner123 · 13/05/2017 09:14

YANBU they shouldn't be bringing him into school until the spots scab over.

TwatteryFlowers · 13/05/2017 09:17

Try not to freak out. Dd is 4 and ds had them when he was only 15 months old. If he gets it at least it's out of the way. It's a complete pita and dd is feeling very sorry for herself but it's almost over with now.

booellesmum · 13/05/2017 09:18

Have you considered the chicken pox vaccine if you don't want him to catch it?
Would stop you worrying.

EnjoyYourShitCake · 13/05/2017 09:19

pink you are wrong. It is still contagious when the spots are out; it ceases to be so when every one has scanned over.

Who told you that?

OrlandoTheCat · 13/05/2017 09:21

"the pox" is syphillis!!

MissBax · 13/05/2017 09:21

Surely better to get them now?? If not you're running the risk of him not getting them at all and then could be very severe in adulthood!

MissBax · 13/05/2017 09:22

her* sorry

Soubriquet · 13/05/2017 09:22

That is very irresponsible

My Dd has chicken pox at the moment. My son still has nursery to go to.

If I have to take my Ds to nursery, I put my Dd in the buggy (even though she's too big) and then hand my Ds over outside.

Otherwise we are staying home and quarantining her

Poor girl is miserable

Original poster
aaaaargghhhhelpme · 13/05/2017 09:25

Haha well Orlando - my mistake. I bloody hope that's not going round school!!!

Thanks booelles. I'll look into it. Dd had it really badly. Ended up in hospital. I know it's rare to have complications (and ds is pretty hefty and a lot less fragile than his sister!) but it's always in the back of my mind.

OP posts:
Original poster
aaaaargghhhhelpme · 13/05/2017 09:27

Miss bax - I know about chickenpox in adulthood. Dd gave it to me!

DH also had it in his 30s.

It's rotten. No doubt about that! But as I said - Dd ended up in hospital so I think that's colouring my view on it. (I just couldn't move out of bed for two weeks - I got off lightly!)

OP posts:
Vroomster · 13/05/2017 09:31

I still had to take youngest DC with me on the school run, had no choice. He was strapped in his pushchair though, I wouldn't have taken him in to school.

Littleraincloud · 13/05/2017 09:37

It isn't generally a serious illness. They'll be loads of kids sent to school less than 48 after d + v , you just don't know because you can't see it. Kids are better off getting these things before adulthood . my 2 never felt I'll with chicken pox so don't worry.

EnjoyYourShitCake · 13/05/2017 09:53

So what little? Just because yours didn't, doesn't mean others won't suffer. What a silly statement.

Mumzypopz · 13/05/2017 09:54

Little raincloud....it is a serious illness to a lot of people. There could be a pregnant mum going into the class to drop off her child, there could be a child with other conditions, and it can be fatal to some people. She shouldn't take the child into a very busy room untill all the spots have scabbed over.

JaneEyre70 · 13/05/2017 09:59

It's bloody irresponsible! My DD2 was 6 months old when she caught it and was so desperately ill.....she had blisters in her mouth so couldn't feed, her groin got so badly infected she screamed when she did a wee and there wasn't a cm of her without spots......she ended up having to be completely sedated so she wasn't distressed, lost lots of weight and even had blisters in her ears and right by her eyes. We had nearly 2 weeks on zero sleep and with the most unhappy baby. I would literally lynch someone that says it's harmless and should be shared. I'd make a complaint to the school - she's putting pregnant women and anyone with a compromised immune system at risk.

Soubriquet · 13/05/2017 10:00

Oh god Jayne your poor Dd

And I thought my Dd had it bad.

Littleraincloud · 13/05/2017 21:35

In a class of 30 kids every one has had it, not one seriously poorly. Stupid mother yes but I was trying to reassure the op that usually it's not serious and that she only knows about it because she saw it so to try not to worry. You don't have to be intelligent to be a parent

Littleraincloud · 13/05/2017 21:37

And by the way, I quarantined mine to their home so I am in no way sticking up for the woman

purplecoathanger · 13/05/2017 21:43

Far better to have chicken pox when you're little and get it over with.

shamoffour · 13/05/2017 21:55

My eldest has it at the moment she's 12 and I agree it's been absolutely awful. She has them everywhere and felt so so poorly at the start of the week. We have 3 younger children who haven't had it and we are going on holiday in two weeks. We have vaccinated them, partly for the holiday but mainly because I would hate them to be that ill if I could possibly prevent it.
I understand people have childcare issues but I wouldn't have been happy at her doing that.

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